A new policy put in place at a public school in Louisiana is sparking outrage.
School leaders at Delhi Charter School are banning pregnant students, and those who refuse to take a pregnancy test, from its campus.
According to its student pregnancy policy, Delhi Charter School "reserves the right to require any female student to take a pregnancy test." If the test is positive, "the student will not be permitted to attend classes on the campus of Delhi Charter School."
The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana says the new rule violates girls' rights and is an example of sexual discrimination, because boys who get the girls pregnant are not punished.
Louisiana has one of thehighest teen birth rates in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate, 54.1 births per 1,000 teens, was 12.6 points higher than the national average in 2008, the latest year for which data are available.
